Magical Inspiration
by Beast Love
Summary: Mikan was right, it wasn't the Cheshire Cat outfit. It was worse. It was some sort of angel costume. - This is Halloween/HxR


Theme: This is Halloween

Rated: T

Pairing: Hotaru & Ruka

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><p>She stared at herself in the mirror. She didn't show it, but she could not believe that was her in the reflection. Her face was a sickly white shade, her lips a light lavender, her violet eyes surrounded by a smokey color. She looked older in the floor length black gown that shimmered an eery purple, the neckline plunging quite down her chest where a silver cross laid snuggle. Did she dare say it? Yes, she was a smoldering vixen in the outfit, the long curling black extensions emphasizing it.<p>

"Hotaru? Are you ready?" Hotaru's closest friend peeked into the girl's room. She gasped, "Holy-, you're gorgeous! If I were a man, I'd eat you up!"

Thin lavender lips pressed into a thin line. One look at Mikan and she regretted her outfit. The younger girl wore a simple dark blue dress with the lace apron, her face in natural make-up, her long auburn hair loose with a black headband. She made a perfect Alice in Wonderland. She made any costume perfect.

"I'm not going," Hotaru muttered. She took a few tissues and grabbed the bottle of make-up remover. Mikan grabbed her wrist as she already grazed her cheek with the soaked tissues.

"What? Why?" Mikan gave her a sad puppy face. How she hated when she did that. It just ignited her heart in rage and guilt.

Hotaru would never be able to pass as the innocent character for Halloween. She would always be the dark witch that everyone ran away from. She hoped that this year she would turn heads the look she had planned. Apparently, Mikan outshine her in her plain outfit. The plan was ruined. She couldn't go anywhere without Mikan being the center. But, hotaru could never bring herself to hate her. Mikan was too dimwitted to realize just how amazing she was.

_If Mikan's a diamond than I'm the black diamond that barely glimmers... _the dark haired girl grimaced.

"I don't like my costume," it was only a half-lie.

Hazel eyes blinked innocently. Her smile widened suddenly, showing a full set of pearly straight teeth. "It just so happens I have an extra costume!"

An eyebrow rose, "If it's the Cheshire cat, forget it, Mikan."

"It's not!" Mikan frowned, gripping her wrist still. "Come on!"

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><p>Mikan was right, it wasn't the Cheshire Cat outfit. It was worse. It was some sort of angel costume.<p>

Hotaru had her annoyed face put on as the cheerful girl bounced around. She had removed her make-up to light pink gloss and brown eyeliner, her skin in a healthy glow, her hair curly and in its boy short form, and worst of all, a white dress that was loose on her frail body with the small wings. It was a costume fit for _Mikan_. This was worse than not going.

She couldn't remember the last time she wore white. It just wasn't a color that looked good on her naturally pale complexion. She chewed on her cheek to keep herself from snapping at Mikan and stomping off home in a tantrum. Although the costume made her seem as innocent as Mikan, she just didn't give the shine that she did.

"Mikan!"

They turned around to see other classmates: Nonoko, Anna, and Sumire. Nonoko and Anna both wore similar costumes in some strange Gothic lace dress. Sumire went all out as as Cleopatra or some other Egyptian Queen, she even managed to straighten her curly hair to a stiff flat mat. Hotaru frowned as they complimented Mikan to no end. She was always in the outside, not that she minded being alone, but there was just so much a girl could put up with over the years.

"Whoa, Hotaru, you look..." Anna started. Violet eyes glared slightly, daring her to say anything wrong. "Adorable."

She flushed, only a little. In her mind, she thanked the sun went down.

They walked together to the home of the Hyuuga's, Mikan's current crush. Hotaru remembered video recording how the crimson eyed soccer captain went up to Mikan, personally inviting her to his Halloween Party. She wouldn't forget her mixed feelings at the time: jealousy and joy. The raven haired girl shook her head, trying to remove the negative thoughts from her mind.

"Ah, H-Hotaru!" Mikan suddenly grabbed her arm, hugging it to her tightly. Hotaru tried to yank it out of her death grip, glaring annoyingly at her.

"What?" she hissed.

She gulped, "N-Natsume's coming! Over _here!_"

A thick eyebrow rose. Hotaru looked up, seeing the handsome guy known as Natsume Hyuuga coming in their direction. He had his hair tousled gracefully, his crimson eyes glowing as he gazed at Mikan. Hotaru tried her best to stifle her laugh. The guy had worn a Prince Charming outfit made of red velvet and a white lace shirt. She would've taken him as the Prince Charming from Hell, but Mikan seemed to disagree with her red face.

"Hello, _Alice_. You're not wearing heart patterned underwear underneath skirt, are you?" Natsume smirked.

Mikan turned beet red. "I am not!"

Hotaru rolled her eyes, finally taking her arm out of Mikan's grasp. She slowly walked away from the two lovers. Everyone knew it was obvious they liked each other, no matter how many girls deny that the Hyuuga likes her. If things went well tonight there was a high possibility that he was going to ask her out, unless Mikan screwed it up somehow, like she did at the back-to-school dance.

Her mind kept replaying old memories, making her bump into someone's back. She cursed under her breath, mending her nose. For some reason it felt like it was bruised and she felt something sticky and warm on her hand. Her eyes opened swiftly, looking at her hand. Red blood was on it. Hotaru gritted her teeth from cursing louder and getting people to see her bleeding nose.

"Oh man, are you alright?"

She froze. Of all the people she had to bump into it had to be the one that she didn't get along with.

The angel dressed girl looked up at him, hand over her now stopped bleeding nose. The guy who had his hand reaching out to her stilled.

Ruka Nogi stood in front of her, uncertainty clear in his light blue eyes. Hotaru studied him. His hay colored hair was combed neatly with the ends curling, his costume that of a pilot from _Top Gun_.

_His muscles look nice in that- No, no. Bad thoughts,_ she scolded herself.

"Here, let's go inside and clean you up, Imai," Ruka sighed, placing a hand on her upper back. Hotaru realized just how much smaller she was compared to him as she looked up at him and his tired look.

It wasn't like they really hated each other to the point that they couldn't be within feet of each other. It was more awkward than anything else. Hotaru's mind would always remind her of the past every time she saw Ruka.

When they were in their middle school, everyone knew that Ruka obviously liked Mikan and Hotaru always playing matchmaker for anyone she approved of who liked Mikan. She was especially known for teasing Ruka the most about it, taking photographs of him and his embarrassing moments. On the day of their eighth grade luncheon, Ruka had come to talk privately with Hotaru. She thought he wanted her to help him out with Mikan, but she was completely startled when he confessed to her his feelings. For her.

To say Hotaru didn't like him that way would be lying to herself. However, she knew that he liked Mikan. She rejected him. And the worst happened. Mikan and the others had been listening in. Since then, things have been strange between them. Ruka didn't cry about it, he managed to be a man about it, but Hotaru was worse. The moment she got home, she cried, knowing she just let go of her only chance despite it being a lie. It was when she began to secretly hate Mikan.

The blonde boy led her inside the home that wasn't really filled with people because of the warm evening. He took her to the bathroom, closing the door behind. Hotaru jumped up to the counter, failing miserably as her bottom slid off it. She glared at the tall counter then at Ruka who snickered.

Ruka grabbed Hotaru by the waist, easily picking her up and placing her on the counter. Hotaru stared at him blankly. "Aren't you buff."

He stuck his tongue out at her as he took out a clean towel from the shelves. "You know it."

Even though she rolled her eyes, a small smile played on her lips. Only she knew Ruka's arrogance at times, his un-gentlemen like qualities.

"It's so like you to get hurt so easily," he took the wet towel and pressed it under nose, rubbing the dried blood away. "Remember the time you scraped your knee from missing a step in front of the school?"

She grunted.

"You always hurt yourself when there isn't anyone watching you. I think we need to hire you a bodyguard twenty-four seven." Ruka patted her nose, Hotaru yelped. "Sorry. You'll probably have a bad bruise in the morning."

Hotaru gave him her annoyed look. He just smiled. Ruka continued to wash away the blood while her steady violet eyes watched. She could feel her heart beat faster and already began the argument happening in her head.

_This isn't good... _Hotaru thought, but she wasn't the only one.

Ruka began rinsing the towel, cleaning it off of blood. "You're wearing white."

"Yup. Mikan made me wear it."

"It looks nice on you," he looked her right in the eye.

She blushed, "Thanks..."

Ruka blushed himself when he saw her reaction, breaking eye contact to stare at the running water.

Hotaru sighed, leaning against the cold mirror. She shivered, watching the goosebumps form on her arm. She wanted to go home, away from the loud music, Mikan's yelling, stupid Nogi's awkward atmosphere...

"Want me to walk you home?"

She jumped slightly. "How did you...?"

He grinned, "You usually pass out at this time."

* * *

><p>They walked side-by-side in silence, the occasional sound of a cricket echoing in the air.<p>

"So...made any new inventions?" Ruka spoke, placing his hand on his neck nervously.

Hotaru shrugged. "Yeah, but nothing as good as the Idiot Gun. Things have been busy."

He laughed lightly, reminiscing from the legendary Idiot Gun Hotaru carried with her at all times until their math teacher confiscated it.

"Um...any guys you particularly like...?"

She looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Maybe."

Ruka stopped walking. Hotaru stopped, turning around, giving him a questioning look.

"Nogi?"

He gently touched her hand, his fingertips barely grazing it. "Is it alright if I still like you more than I should?"

Hotaru narrowed her eyes at him. "Ruka, stop using me as a scapegoat-"

"I'm not!" Ruka snapped, his light blue eyes glowing.

"I think you should go." The raven haired girl turned around, walking home on her own.

"If you think I still like Mikan than your calculations are off. Yeah, maybe in eighth grade I might have had feelings for Mikan, but after spending time with you I had feeling for you. I hoped you would've said yes so I could forget her and focus only on you... Can't you think of me as more than a friend?" Ruka finished his speech.

He jumped when he heard sniffling.

"You're so stupid." _Yes._

"I know." _And?_

"I hate white." _I like you._

Ruka laughed. "I know, I know." _I do too._

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><p><strong><em>AN: _**So, I'm going to making a bunch one-shots on this one based off fairy tails, Disney, etc, etc. This was not edited, so pardon anything confusing and grammar mistakes.


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